Pokemon Gen 10 Could Make Waves With its Own Version of a…

Despite the lack of official announcements, Pokemon’s upcoming 10th generation of games has been receiving plenty of attention lately. Pokemon fans are always eager for more entries in their favorite series, and some of them have been discussing how the next mainline installments could live up to expectations. While much of this discussion centers around brand-new ideas, Gen 10 might also be able to wow fans by putting its own spin on some tried-and-true features, including one that appeared in Pokemon’s fifth generation.

The Pokemon series is constantly evolving by adding new ways to battle, new creatures to befriend, and new characters to form connections with. As the series approaches its tenth generation of games, it may be time to celebrate its history by reintroducing some of Pokemon’s most powerful trainers. Each entry in the series has introduced new Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, champions, and other strong trainers, but those characters usually stay in their home regions. That said, Gen 5’s Pokemon World Tournament did allow players to do battle with Gym Leaders from all the previous regions, and with five more generations of worthy opponents, it may be time to bring the tournament back.

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By Drew Swanson

The Pokemon World Tournament Should Return in Gen 10

For those who may not remember, the Pokemon World Tournament was a feature in Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 that allowed players to face off against Gym Leaders and champions from the series’ past. This was Gen 5’s version of the Battle Frontier, a feature first introduced in the third generation that acted as a post-game reward for players. Despite positive reception from fans, recent generations have lacked this type of facility, leaving some to bemoan the absence of a true challenge after defeating the game's champion. There were once plans for a version of the Battle Frontier in Pokemon Sun and Moon, but they were scrapped in favor of the Battle Tree.

Generation 10’s World Tournament Could be Bigger than Ever Before

While the Battle Frontier, Battle Subway, and Battle Tree all gave players the extra challenge they were looking for, the Pokemon World Tournament was special. What set it apart from other comparable features was that it celebrated the series’ past and present. Not only did Gen 5's World Tournament bring back every previous Pokemon Gym Leader and champion, players could also participate in single, double, triple, and rotation battles. Now, five generations later, there are 24 more Gym Leaders, 7 captains, 4 kahunas, and 4 champions, excluding the potential Gen 10 representatives, to add into the mix. A new World Tournament could also bring back gimmicks of past generations, such as Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, and Terastallization.

Possible gimmicks that could return in a Gen 10 Poekmon World Tournament:

Triple Battles
Rotation Battles
Inverse Battles
Battle Royale Mode
Mega Evolution
Z-Moves
Dynamax and Gigantamax
Terastallization

Players new and old could enjoy a trip down memory lane that would reintroduce long-absent faces and revitalize old mechanics. Of course, the next mainline entries need to have their own identity, but it's still important that they learn from the success of past Pokemon games. Players have flocked to the Battle Frontier since its introduction, and subsequent similar battle institutions have failed to live up to the original. There’s no reason that the next games can’t move forward while also looking back.

The timing couldn’t be better for a resurrection of the Pokemon World Tournament. Ten mainline games is a milestone that deserves to be recognized, and Nintendo has been looking back on the past of the series already. With confirmation that Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness will come to Nintendo Switch Online on the Switch 2, even popular spin-off games could be recognized in a new World Tournament. Pokemon’s past has a lot to look back on fondly, and hopefully some nostalgia will find its way into Generation 10.

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